Artist Manisha Gawade’s art-furniture is certainly worth passing on as a Keepsake to the next generation, says Ayushi Sharma

Why should something that we have to live with day in and day out be in boring brown colours? Why should our furniture be functional and not creative? Why should art be restricted to only the walls? It was with these thoughts in mind that Manisha Gawade started drawing various unconventional designs that  could be easily embedded into tables, chairs, bars, wall units and cupboards.

Keepsakes, a first-of-its-kind exhibition of art-furniture along with paintings, explores the idea. It took Manisha three years of experimentation and tireless work to conceptualise the design and paint these pieces that are created to energise living spaces.

And if you thought that the art-furniture was designed merely by putting a painting on top of an existing furniture, look again. For the furniture was designed from scratch and then the painting was made on it. These are heirloom pieces that anybody would love to own and pass on to the next generation. The show is experimental, modern and yet contemporary expression of art, experimented with various surfaces, methodology, finishes, art materials and their application to ensure that the final product stands the test of time.

Manisha had a definite idea behind the name of the exhibition and said, “We want the art pieces to be passed on from one generation to the other. We have also insured the quality so that they last.”

High-grade materials are used including wood, fittings, polishes. The artist herself told us how she had packed up several layers for their protection. “We have used the best quality wood and experimented with different chemicals so that we can make it water-resistant. That is why it has taken three years to come up with something this unique. There are 15-18 layers  depending upon the art piece, so that the art on the pieces doesn’t get ruined and can be passed on.”

However, it was hard for Manisha to decide upon her favourite piece and she said with a laugh, “It’s like asking about who is your favourite child when you love each one. There are few very impactful pieces but my favourite would have been the eight feet cloth peg one and only piece which shares its name with the exhibition title. It’s a long and beautiful sculpture. It is all about keeping memories alive forever.”

Manisha shared how affordable and reasonable the prices are, “They start around Rs 2.10 lakh, go up to Rs 4 lakh and for the art-furniture, prices start at Rs 1.25 lakh going up to around Rs 4.5 lakh. No piece exceeds Rs 4.5 lakh.”

The artist shared her journey to this exhibition, “My journey started 14 years ago when I learnt to work on wood in Dubai with an artist from Southeast Asia. I have never been shy of trying various materials in my work and have tried to experiment with many surfaces, including glass, textile, paper, wood, metal, cloth, fibre glass among other things.”